Thursday, October 10, 2024

10/10 Links Pt1: Biden-Harris should help Israel take out Iran's nuclear program; What’s With Biden’s Schizophrenia on Lebanon?; Police foil plot to topple Tel Aviv towers

From Ian:

Benny Morris: Iranian Escalation May Work to Israel’s Benefit, but Its Strategic Dilemma Remains
Examining the effects of Iran’s decision to launch nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1, Benny Morris takes stock of the Jewish state’s strategic situation:
The massive Iranian attack has turned what began as a local war in and around the Gaza Strip and then expanded into a Hamas–Hizballah–Houthi–Israeli war [into] a regional war with wide and possibly calamitous international repercussions.

Before the Iranians launched their attack, Washington warned Tehran to desist (“don’t,” in President Biden’s phrase), and Israel itself had reportedly cautioned the Iranians secretly that such an attack would trigger a devastating Israeli counterstrike. But a much-humiliated Iran went ahead, nonetheless.

For Israel, the way forward seems to lie in an expansion of the war—in the north or south or both—until the country attains some sort of victory, or a diplomatic settlement is reached. A “victory” would mean forcing Hizballah to cease fire in exchange, say, for a cessation of the IDF bombing campaign and withdrawal to the international border, or forcing Iran, after suffering real pain from IDF attacks, to cease its attacks and rein in its proxies: Hizballah, Hamas, and the Houthis.

At the same time, writes Morris, a victory along such lines would still have its limits:
An IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon and a cessation of Israeli air-force bombing would result in Hizballah’s resurgence and its re-investment of southern Lebanon down to the border. Neither the Americans nor the French nor the UN nor the Lebanese army—many of whose troops are Shiites who support Hizballah—would fight them.
Seth Mandel: What’s With Biden’s Schizophrenia on Lebanon?
President Biden was committed to Hamas’s defeat at the beginning of the war a year ago. Halfway through, his efforts became singularly focused on ending the hostilities in any way possible, leaving Yahya Sinwar untouched and consigning at least some of the hostages to permanent captivity.

The original plan was to rebuild Gaza after removing Hamas from the strip. That required putting together a regional coalition willing to stick its neck out and plunk down ungodly amounts of money while taking at least some responsibility for management of Gaza during a dangerous and chaotic transition period. The flaking-out of the Biden administration didn’t just give Sinwar a new lease on life; it put our Sunni allies out on a limb and then cut that limb down.

The amount of commitment it would take to “fix” Lebanon would dwarf Gaza reconstruction. This is the second problem with the administration’s new grand idea. In four weeks, America will elect Biden’s successor. That person, whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, will replace the Cabinet with their own. Harris’s national-security team is dominated by those who want the U.S. less, not more, entangled in the politics of the Middle East. Which is to say, Joe Biden’s chosen successor would shred Biden’s plan on her first day in office.

Without a commitment from the U.S., there won’t be a commitment from anyone else. Our allies have already been burned by Biden’s about-face on Gaza.

All of this reveals the wasted potential of U.S. policy in the Mideast. The Obama-Biden administration’s coddling of Iran enabled the Gaza and Lebanon crises to reach this point. Four years later, Donald Trump handed Biden and Harris the Abraham Accords and an ongoing set of negotiations with Saudi Arabia, which they promptly shoved in a drawer so they could try to revive a policy that privileged Iran. When that went nowhere, the fickle crew went back to Saudi Arabia, too late to secure an agreement.

Now they want an Iranian proxy to remain in Gaza but an international coalition to push out an Iranian proxy in Lebanon?

Their hearts are in the right place—for now. But they have mortgaged the American credibility that would be needed to follow this path. Such are the wages of indecision and strategic caprice. The legacy of this administration will be chaos and missed opportunities.
Ruthie Blum: 50 shades of ‘Don’t’
This was evident from Biden’s urging in April, after Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, that Netanyahu “take the win” and move on. The “win” to which he was referring was the successful interception of the projectiles. In other words, dodging a bullet is preferable to targeting and taking out a shooter.

Following Iran’s ballistic barrage last week, Biden’s main concern focused on Israeli retaliation. He went as far as to say that he opposes an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and oil fields. He then added the usual mantra about Israel’s right to respond, as long as civilians aren’t killed.

Which brings us back to the 50-minute phone call that was the first communication between Biden and Bibi in some 50 days. Apparently, the White House defines “having Israel’s back” as turning its back on the Jewish state—when not stabbing it in the back by withholding crucial weaponry and constantly calling for ceasefires, that is. You know, the kind of “peace deals” that benefit the very mass murderers engaged in the ongoing seven-front assault against America’s key ally in the Middle East.

Given the length of the chat, it’s obvious that much was omitted from the White House summation of it. But reading between the already despicable lines is sufficient to glean what must have been a far worse exchange.

The following excerpt is illustrative: “On Lebanon, the president emphasized the need for a diplomatic arrangement to safely return both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line. The president affirmed Israel’s right to protect its citizens from Hezbollah, which has fired thousands of missiles and rockets into Israel over the past year alone, while emphasizing the need to minimize harm to civilians, in particular in the densely populated areas of Beirut. On Gaza, the leaders discussed the urgent need to renew diplomacy to release the hostages held by Hamas. The president also discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the imperative to restore access to the north, including by reinvigorating the corridor from Jordan immediately.”

The sole mention of Iran preceded the above passage; it was a short condemnation of the Oct. 1 ballistic-missile attack on Israel. No acknowledgement of Tehran’s being the head of the terrorist octopus. Not a word about nukes or Israeli plans for some major “October surprise.”

It’s not clear whether Netanyahu informed Biden of what Israel has in store for the ayatollahs. He probably didn’t reveal his whole hand, so as to avoid receiving a raspy presidential “Don’t.” But he certainly was right to save Gallant a flight.


Douglas Murray: Biden-Harris should help Israel take out Iran's nuclear program — the world will thank them
I spent part of this week on the Lebanese border, where Hezbollah is still firing missiles at Israel. In one afternoon, I watched Hezbollah fire hundreds of missiles over my head, and at one point at one of the towns, Safed, which I was in. I saw the houses that were hit and the families that were destroyed.

Now that Hamas and Hezbollah have been degraded, Iran is running out of front groups. So twice in recent months they have fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel direct from Iranian territory.

No people on Earth could live like this. But still the American government says that it is Israel that should “step back from the brink.”

Well, sorry — but the revolutionary government in Iran long ago went over the brink. What is needed now is allyship with Israel and unity against the theocrats in Iran.

Since 1979, the ayatollahs have not only imprisoned the Iranian people. They have also regarded Israel as the “Little Satan” and America as the “Great Satan.”

It is “Death to America” that they chant at Friday prayers in Iran and put on the sides of the missiles that they parade through their streets.

Why should Israel have to fight alone against this regime of death? And why should it be Israel alone that should try to stop the mullahs in their search for a nuclear bomb?

If people enjoy what the ayatollahs have done before achieving nuclear weapons, then they will love what they would do if they ever get them.

After the latest barrage from Iran and Lebanon, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “The Iranian attack was aggressive but inaccurate.

“In contrast, our attack will be deadly, pinpoint accurate, and most importantly, surprising. They will not know what happened or how it happened.”

Once again the American government is urging restraint on Israel. But why? If Israel bombs Iran’s oil fields, it they could cripple the Iranian economy and certainly cause global oil price movement.

But why did the Biden-Harris administration reverse President Donald Trump’s policy, which had the mullahs bankrupt and on their knees?

Today the mullahs are riding roughshod across the region. Attacks like those from Hamas and Hezbollah have been made possible by Biden-Harris gifting them billions of dollars.

Any ordinary government might use such a bonanza to help their people. Not the theocratic fascists in Iran. They have used it to spread terror and get nukes.

So yes — Canada’s Poilievre is right. And the government in Washington is wrong. It is time to cripple the mullahs and prevent them from ever adding a nuclear weapon to their terror arsenal.

If Israel goes it alone, then Biden-Harris will probably condemn them. But the region — and the wider world — will soon thank them.


‘Our enemies’ core assumptions have been shattered’
The collapse of Nasrallah’s “spider web” theory, according to Ben Shabbat, is being observed across the region and beyond. Not only are Tehran and its proxy militias taking note, but also others suffering under Iranian influence, he said.

“Lebanese power brokers now have an opportunity, which was until now a dream only, to free themselves from Hezbollah’s oppressive shadow. Sunni leaders in the region, too, have a chance to set red lines regarding Iran’s malicious presence in their territories, or on their borders,” he said.

Ben Shabbat highlighted how recent events have reinforced Israel’s strategic value to Washington and other global powers. The U.S. presidential candidates, the leaders of Russia and China and heads of state from countries still formulating their stance toward Israel are all keenly observing events, he explained.

“If there was ever any doubt about Israel’s value to Washington, the events of the past few days have dispelled it. If there was a need to prove that Israel is the arrowhead in dealing with the forces of evil of Iran, this war provided it. Alongside concern over deterioration into general war, one can also sense optimism following the achievements of the campaign,” he stated.

Ben Shabbat cautioned however that Israel’s adversaries are not yet defeated, stating, “Our enemies in Lebanon and Gaza have been dealt severe blows, but a hard and surprising hit does not necessarily mean it’s decisive or fatal.”

The test, he said, lies in the ability of these enemies to recover and continue their activities. “There is still much work to be done, and it will be complete only when we return the hostages and can declare that the Iranian octopus has finally lost these two tentacles.”

Reflecting on Israel’s history, Ben Shabbat concluded with a message of perseverance.

“The people of Israel have known great disasters throughout history, but we have never sunk into the depths of despair. Our faith has not cracked, and our spirit has never been broken. When we fall, we rise again, and from every crisis, we grew. Israel is eternal.”


US has ‘deep concern’ about Israeli effort to alter UNRWA
Even by U.N. Security Council standards, Wednesday’s meeting of the global body was contentious.

The Palestinian Authority envoy balked at Israel’s comparison of the P.A. and Hamas, and Philippe Lazzarini, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency commissioner-general, said that eliminating UNRWA would upset global peace.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Washington’s U.N. ambassador, reiterated calls for a ceasefire and hostage deal in the Gaza Strip while chiding Israel for a reported slowdown of humanitarian aid crossing into the enclave in recent weeks.

“Colleagues, we are also concerned by recent actions by the Israeli government to limit the delivery of goods into Gaza,” the U.S. envoy said. “When combined with new bureaucratic limits placed on humanitarian goods arriving from Jordan, and the closure of most border crossings in recent weeks, these restrictions would only have the effect of intensifying suffering in Gaza.”

“We need to see fewer barriers to the delivery of aid, not more of them,” she said.

Thomas-Greenfield allowed that “Israel has alleged—and the U.N., in some cases, has confirmed—that a small percentage of UNRWA employees have ties to Hamas and other terrorist groups.” Washington shares Jerusalem’s concerns about Hamas “misusing” UNRWA facilities, she said.

“At the same time, we know that U.N. personnel, including from UNRWA, are vital to the humanitarian response in Gaza and face tremendous danger while performing their work,” she said. “Israel needs to provide UNRWA additional information regarding these allegations, and UNRWA needs to have in place a process to address these concerns seriously and urgently, and make faster progress on the much-needed reforms.”

“Simply put,” she said, “it is in no one’s interest for the neutrality of UNRWA’s personnel to remain in doubt.

The United States has “deep concern” about “the Israeli legislative proposal that could alter UNRWA’s legal status, hindering its ability to communicate with Israeli officials and removing privileges and immunities afforded to U.N. organizations and personnel around the globe,” Thomas-Greenfield added. “This legislative proposal reflects the significant distrust between Israel and UNRWA.”
UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem to be seized
The Israel Land Authority (ILA) is seizing the land of UNRWA's headquarters in Jerusalem, in order to build 1,440 housing units.

As the extent of UNRWA and its employees' collaboration in the massacre at Gaza border communities by Hamas and their role in providing assistance for murder, kidnapping, and more continues to be revealed, a significant step has been taken for the first time against the refugee agency.

According to information released to the public today, the entire UNRWA area in Ma'alot Dafna, Jerusalem, is slated to become a housing project with 1,440 units, and the project is in its preparatory stages. It should be noted that over the past year, families of kidnapped civilians and fallen IDF soldiers, alongside organizations such as "Im Tirtzu" and others, have protested in front of the UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem, demanding the closure of the agency's office, which has operated in the city without interference.

Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA's Commissioner-General, warned the UN Security Council yesterday (Wednesday) about the possible consequences of an Israeli bill that seeks to ban the agency's activities in Israel: "Legislation to end our operations is ready for final adoption by the Israeli Knesset. It seeks to ban UNRWA's presence and operations in the territory of Israel, revoking its privileges and immunities, in violation of international law. If the bills are adopted, the consequences will be severe."

"Operationally, the entire humanitarian response in Gaza – which rests on UNRWA's infrastructure – may disintegrate", added Lazzarini.
David Collier: David Lammy's dangerous decision makes UK taxpayers complicit in Hamas terror
This is not merely negligence. UNRWA’s actions, or lack thereof, reveal an institutional complicity that betrays the very people it claims to protect. In some of its schools, children are being taught hatred, martyrdom, and antisemitism through textbooks that glorify terrorism. What we’re witnessing is the weaponisation of education, turning vulnerable young minds into pawns for Hamas’s extremist agenda.

Let’s be clear: the United Kingdom, along with other Western governments, is complicit in this. British taxpayers' money is being funnelled into an organisation that not only fails to stop these transgressions but actively employs individuals with ties to terrorism. This must stop. The UK government cannot, in good conscience, continue to fund an organisation that betrays a humanitarian mission by allowing its resources and personnel to be used in the service of terrorism.

Calls for reform have been frequent, but they have amounted to nothing more than superficial attempts to save face. What is needed now is not reform, but a complete overhaul of UNRWA’s operations. There must be a full review of its leadership, its funding structures, and its employment practices. More importantly, the UK must lead the charge in demanding accountability. If UNRWA cannot guarantee that it is not complicit in acts of terror, then its funding must be cut off immediately.

The recent revelations are not isolated incidents. They point to a larger, more systemic issue that goes far beyond a few rogue employees and traces back to UNRWA’s founding. When Hamas operatives are drawing salaries from a UN body, when children in UNRWA schools are being indoctrinated with hate, and when UN facilities are being used to launch attacks, it’s clear that UNRWA has failed in its most basic duty.

There is a broader consequence to this betrayal. By failing to label Hamas for what it is—a terrorist organisation—UNRWA feeds the narrative of legitimacy that Hamas craves. The BBC, among others, has been guilty of the same omission, refusing to call out Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist groups. This wilful distortion of language not only misleads the public but actively endangers them. By softening the image of these organisations, we allow for the rise of antisemitism and anti-Zionism, which have become disturbingly more prevalent in the UK. Anti-Zionism often masquerades as opposition to Israeli policies but is, at its core, a thin veil for antisemitism. This connection cannot be ignored.

The time for half-measures has passed. Foreign Secretary David Lammy must cease the UK Government's funding of UNRWA, which was reinstated despite being put on pause by the previous Rishi Sunak-led administration. Funding must be paused again until there is concrete proof that the organisation has purged itself of terrorist influences. Accountability is not a suggestion—it is a moral obligation. Britain cannot be a party to this any longer. If we truly stand against terrorism, we must also stand against those who enable it under the guise of humanitarian aid.

UNRWA has had ample opportunities to rectify its course and has failed. The UK and other international donors must now take a hard stance. The humanitarian work that UNRWA was meant to do has been hijacked, and until it can prove its loyalty to peace rather than terror, it deserves neither our money nor our trust.


Qatari Emir’s Speech at UN Showed Its Loyalty to Hamas; We Must Respond
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on before a meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Tehran, Iran, Aug. 26, 2024.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has once again accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza.

In his recent speech to the United Nations General Assembly, al-Thani refused to condemn Hamas — the Iran-backed terror group that instigated the war on October 7, 2023. Instead, he condemned the Jewish State for what he described as “the most barbaric and heinous and extensive” violations of “human values, international charters and norms.”

Al-Thani’s speech demonstrates that Qatar remains loyal to Hamas’ narrative of events in the Middle East, and should not be trusted as an impartial interlocutor between Israel and the terrorist organization.

During this speech, al-Thani never mentioned that Hamas massacred 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped some 250 others on October 7.

He never mentioned that the United Nations itself released a report in March delineating “clear and convincing” evidence that Hamas terrorists committed widespread sexual crimes on October 7.

He never mentioned the extraordinary steps that Israel has taken to limit civilian casualties in a combat zone, while Hamas uses schools, hospitals, and even children’s bedrooms as human shields.

Brushing aside the ongoing threat of Iranian-backed terrorism, al-Thani proceeded to applaud Palestinians in Gaza for the enclave’s “remarkable development” over the past 17 years, neglecting to mention that Hamas invested hundreds of millions of dollars in building terrorist infrastructure rather than investing in the economy. He also decried the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, whom the emir styled as a legitimate political official. And al-Thani referred to all Palestinians killed in Gaza as “martyrs,” ignoring the fact that thousands of fatalities were Hamas terrorists.


‘Quds Force chief suffers heart attack in Iranian detention’
Brig. Gen. Esmail Ghaani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, suffered a heart attack while being questioned as part of Tehran’s probe into intelligence leaks, Arab media reported on Thursday.

Sky News Arabia, citing Iranian sources, said that the commander had been moved to a hospital by the Islamic Republic’s security forces.

The investigation into Ghaani was opened following suspicions that the head of his office was in contact with Israeli intelligence “through an intermediary living outside Iran,” Sky News Arabia claimed.

Earlier on Thursday, Middle East Eye, a U.K.-based, Qatari-funded outlet, cited “ten sources in Tehran, Beirut and Baghdad” as saying that Ghaani and his associates were detained as Iran investigates major security breaches.

Iran has “serious suspicions” that Jerusalem has infiltrated the IRGC’s ranks, the commander of one Iranian-backed terrorist group told the website, adding that “everyone is currently under investigation.”

Ghaani, who took control of the elite Quds Force after his predecessor Qassem Soleimani was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad in 2020, was last seen in public visiting Hezbollah’s offices in Tehran on Sept. 29.

According to reports in Israeli and Arab media over the weekend, the Iranian may have been wounded or killed in an IDF airstrike in Beirut.

According to three Iranian officials cited by The New York Times, Ghaani traveled to the Lebanese capital to assist Hezbollah following a series of devastating Israeli attacks that have disrupted its chain of command, including a Sept. 27 airstrike that killed its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Ghaani was notably absent from an Oct. 4 prayer service in Tehran commemorating Nasrallah and led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

An IRGC member stationed in Beirut told the Times that the silence from Iranian officials is “creating panic among rank-and-file members.”


Hezbollah rocket hits near Jenin in Samaria
A long-range missile fired at Israel by Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon struck near the Palestinian city of Jenin on Thursday.

The projectile was aimed towards Israel’s densely populated coastal plain, but instead hit an open area outside Jenin in Samaria. No injuries were reported in the attack.

No air-raid sirens were triggered in surrounding Jewish communities as the missile did not pose a threat to residents.

On Oct. 1, several of the some 200 ballistic missiles fired at Israel by Iran hit Palestinian communities in Judea and Samaria. According to Arab reports, one Palestinian was killed by shrapnel in Nu’eima, near Jericho. Sameh al-Asali was said to have been the only fatality of Iran’s assault.

On Sept. 28, missiles from Lebanon and Yemen caused damage in the Palestinian town of Ein Yabrud, near Beit El in the Binyamin region of Samaria, and in Huwara, adjacent to Nablus in central Samaria.

Five days earlier, a Hezbollah terrorist rocket struck outside the Israeli city of Ariel in central Samaria, reportedly causing material damage to several houses in the nearby Palestinian village of Deir Istiya.

Since Hezbollah joined the war against the Jewish state in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, 2023, the Iranian-backed Lebanese terrorist organization has fired more than 12,400 rockets, missiles and drones.

Jerusalem has escalated attacks in Lebanon since adding the return of evacuated Israelis to the north as an official war goal on Sept. 17. Tens of thousands of residents of the Upper Galilee and the Golan remain internally displaced due to the cross-border attacks.


Police foil ISIS-inspired plot to topple Tel Aviv towers
Israel security forces revealed on Wednesday the thwarting of a terrorist plot to blow up the Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv, following a month-long undercover investigation.

The Israel Police and the Israeli Security Agency arrested five suspects, residents of Tayibe, an Arab-Israeli city located in central Israel, in connection with the plot, Channel 12 reported.

The suspects, in their 20s, identified with Islamic State, or ISIS, which conquered large areas of northwestern Iraq and eastern Syria in 2014, only to lose control in 2019 to a combination of Iraqi, Kurdish and U.S. forces.

The terrorists’ plan included a shooting attack and car bombing to bring down the towers. According to the investigation, the suspects watched videos of terror attacks in Syria and debated the quantity of explosives needed to bring down the towers.

An indictment is expected to be issued in the coming days.

The Azrieli Center consists of three towers, triangular, square and circular, ranging in height from 505 to 613 feet. A fourth, spiral tower is under construction.

The two leaders of the terror cell, Mahmoud Azam and Ibrahim Sheik Youssef, intended to visit ISIS combat zones and were in contact with members of the organization. They recruited three others—Sajed Masarwa, Abdullah Baransi and Abdel Kareem Baransi.

The suspects chose the Azrieli Center as it is a high-traffic area and includes a popular mall. They also allegedly planned to carry out other attacks.


Arab rock-throwers wound Israelis in Judea
Two Israeli men sustained minor head wounds in a Palestinian stone-throwing attack outside near Eitam Farm in the Gush Etzion region of Judea on Wednesday, the Magen David Adom emergency service said.

Medics “provided medical treatment to an 18-year-old man and a 26-year-old man in fair condition with head wounds and referred them to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital,” the organization announced.

According to eyewitness accounts cited by local media, at least 15 Palestinian rioters from Bethlehem attacked a Jewish shepherd with stones, slingshots and clubs as he was grazing his flock near Efrat.

The shepherd and another resident of the farm reportedly had to fend off the Arab terrorists with their bare hands, as the Israel Defense Forces had confiscated their firearm mere hours before the attack took place.

In a video published by Israel’s Channel 14, one of the apparent victims of the terrorist attack appeared with blood streaming down his face.


Three IDF reservists die in blast in northern Gaza
Three Israel Defense Forces reservists were killed and two other soldiers were seriously wounded when their vehicle hit an explosive device in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza, the military announced on Thursday.

The casualties were named as Master Sgt. (res.) Ori Moshe Borenstein, 32, from Moreshet; Master Sgt. (res.) Tzvi Matityahu Marantz, 32, from Bnei Adam; and Maj. (res.) Netanel Hershkovitz, 37, from Jerusalem. All three were part of the 5460th support unit of the IDF’s 460th Brigade.

According to Israel’s Channel 12 News broadcaster, the deadly explosion took place shortly after the unit crossed into the coastal enclave to provide logistical assistance to soldiers of the 162nd Division.

Yair Revivo, the mayor of Lod, paid tribute to Borenstein in a statement: “Ori, originally from the community of Moreshet, studied at the ‘Maoz’ pre-military academy in Lod, and in recent years lived in the Neve Zayit neighborhood while studying mechanical engineering in Ariel.”

Marantz and Hershkovitz both leave behind a wife and three children, according to Channel 12 News. Funerals were scheduled to take place on Thursday night at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl military cemetery.


IDF reservist KIA in Southern Lebanon; two Hezbollah commanders killed
The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday morning announced the death of Sgt. Maj. (res.) Ronny Ganizate, who was severely injured fighting Hezbollah terrorists in Southern Lebanon and later succumbed to his wounds.

Ganizate, 36, from Givat Shmuel, was a reservist from the 5030th Battalion of the 228 Brigade (Alon) serving his third round of reserve duty, totaling more than 200 days. He is survived by his wife, Shoshana, and three children.

He is the 12th soldier killed since the start of Israel’s ground offensive in Southern Lebanon at the end of September. The overall death toll on all fronts since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023 stands at 731.

Israeli forces kill two Hezbollah commanders

The IDF also said on Thursday morning that two Hezbollah commanders were eliminated in Southern Lebanon by air and artillery strikes.


Hamas caught on video stealing dozens of humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza Strip
Hamas terrorists were captured on video taking control of 47 of 100 aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

“It’s no secret that Hamas takes control of humanitarian aid. We’ve already published here tapes of Hamas, in which you hear them say themselves they have no more room in their warehouses,” Channel 12‘s Almog Boker reported on Wednesday evening.

“But this evening we also bring special documentation of what it looks like from inside, with cameras that are tracking it in real time,” he said.

The footage shows Hamas first taking over the trucks, including attacking the drivers. Then the trucks are driven through Rafah with armed terrorists riding on them. If any citizen approaches the trucks, they are immediately fired upon, Almog reported. Gunshots can be heard in the background of the footage.

Humanitarian aid, meant to prevent starvation among Gazans, has instead become a lifeline for Hamas and its continued control of the Strip.

“Control over humanitarian aid is control over the citizens. Hamas and [its leader Yahya] Sinwar exercise almost absolute control over what happens with humanitarian aid, and this is how they control the population,” Boker reported.

He noted the IDF on Tuesday killed a handful of terrorists trying to take control of some aid, but said that the army’s efforts haven’t been enough.


Call Me Back: Memorializing a war while still fighting – with Matti Friedman
Hosted by Dan Senor
This past Monday marked the grim one-year anniversary of October 7th. Around the world, Jewish communities gathered to memorialize a war still being fought.

How did Israeli society experience this grief, and how did Diaspora communities memorialize? What are Israelis going through that we might not be able to see from a distance? And what are Diaspora communities going through that Israelis may not see?

To discuss, we are joined by Matti Friedman, who is one of the most thoughtful writers when it comes to all matters related to Israel, the broader Middle East, and also trends in the world of journalism. He is a columnist for The Free Press: https://www.thefp.com/

Matti’s most recent book is called “Who by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai.” Before that he published “Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel,” and before that “Pumpkinflowers: A Soldier’s Story of a Forgotten War.” Matti’s army service included tours in Lebanon. His work as a reporter has taken him from Israel to Lebanon, and other hotspots across the Middle East and around the world. He is a former Associated Press correspondent and essayist for the New York Times opinion section.
“It Is A TRAGEDY” UK ‘Has Proved Spineless’ On Pro-Palestine Protests
The Times columnist Melanie Phillips tells Talk’s Mike Graham "it is a tragedy" that the UK "has proved so spineless" when dealing with pro-Palestine protests.

Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through the capital on Saturday, meeting counter-protests at several points on their route.

The Metropolitan Police arrested two people on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation, with one man held after allegedly shouting support for Hezbollah near a pro-Israel counter-demonstration, according to the force.

"People in Israel are looking at this in astonishment. They can't understand why so many in Britain have turned against Israel,” Melanie says.


Begin Center: Book Launch: “The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza”
From the battlegrounds in Gaza, to the Israeli communities devastated by the fighting and trips to Israel’s frontlines against Hezbollah, this is the gripping story of how Israel suffered a surprise attack and recovered to fight back. “The October 7 War” is based on the author’s fifteen years of experience covering wars in Gaza, defense technology, and the rise of Iranian-backed terror in the Middle East.

The Begin Center hosted the book's author, Seth J. Frantzman, Adjunct Fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and the Senior Middle East Analyst at The Jerusalem Post.

He was in conversation with Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, and Israel's Special Envoy for Trade and Innovation.

Seth J. Frantzman is also the author of "After ISIS: America, Iran and the Struggle for the Middle East" and "Drone Wars: Pioneers, Killing Machines, and the Battle for the Future." He has covered conflict in the Middle East for more than a decade. He covered the war against Islamic State, five Gaza wars, the conflict in Ukraine, the refugee crises in Eastern Europe and also reported from Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Senegal, the UAE, Ukraine and Russia.


Jonny Gould: Brendan O’Neill, “After The Pogrom”: why have young and educated classes come out for Hamas?”
“After The Pogrom” - what now for Israel and the Jewish diaspora? And for western civilisation for that matter?

The swirling dust of conflict has brought with it significant changes to our world and yet amid Israel’s fight on seven fronts, Brendan O’Neill’s coherent methodic analysis explains what we’re witness to.

Brendan’s not on X, you’ll only find “burntoakboy” as he’s known on Instagram “because the rest of social media is far too rough and ugly” for him.

And it’s where since October 7th 2023, he’s been ever present with stout, sometimes uncensored defences of the State of Israel.

You’ve seen him writing for Spiked Online and on TV and radio.

But he’s no Johnny Come Lately: he’s not jumped on the Israel bandwagon.

In our first interview here on Jonny Gould’s Jewish state in 2020, Brendan compared the Jewish and non-Jewish people’s takeaways from the Second World War.

While Europeans declared that to end all wars, we needed “happy clappy borders”, Jews on the other hand recognised that secure borders were absolutely essential to our survival.

How right he’s proved to be. Scroll back to episode 51 for a gripping interview during the Brexit and Covid years.

But right now, recorded on this most poignant date in our recent history, it’s always a pleasure to spend time with Brendan O’Neill. Buy “After The Pogrom” here.
PragerU: Bill Maher vs. the Woke Mob on Israel



The Rubin Report: This Will Replace the ‘Two-State’ Solution | David Friedman
Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” talks to former Ambassador to Israel David Friedman about how Israel's recent actions have shifted the power balance; Netanyahu's leadership, particularly during the Rafa operation, which rescued hostages and uncovered smuggling routes; Israel’s military failure to detect the full scope of Hamas' terror network; the impossibility of a two-state solution given past failures in Gaza and the West Bank; Friedman's alternative proposal for one Jewish state with Israeli sovereignty over Palestinian territories; and much more.


Jack Carr: Living the Price of War: How Our Family Found Hope Amidst the Chaos
Haviv Rettig Gur is a veteran Israeli journalist and the Senior Analyst at The Times of Israel. Since 2005, he has reported on Israel's politics, foreign policy, education system, and its relationship with the Jewish diaspora, with coverage spanning over 20 countries. A former combat medic in the 50th Battalion of the IDF's airborne infantry, Haviv brings a deep understanding of the complexities facing Israel, shaped by both his professional and military experiences. To learn more about Haviv, follow him on X @havivrettiggur.

00:00 - Intro
01:29 - Family and Community Support
07:50 - Journalist's Path and Challenges
11:25 - Life in Israel Post-Conflict
16:22 - Israel's Vulnerability Revealed
21:45 - Trust in Military Leadership
29:26 - Political Failures and Accountability
36:40 - Public Trust in Leadership
39:45 - Understanding the Philadelphia Corridor
47:40 - First vs. Second Entry Doctrine
50:10 - US Pressure on Israeli Operations
58:40 - Consequences of Delayed Actions
01:03:10 - Hostage Negotiation Dynamics
01:05:03 - Military vs. Diplomatic Strategies
01:07:07 - Israeli Public's Distrust in Leadership
01:15:23 - Hamas's Impact on Hostage Value
01:19:19 - Hamas's Historical Context
01:30:40 - Understanding Israeli Politics
01:32:15 - Iran's Military Escalation
01:35:30 - Escalation Strategies Against Iran
01:37:45 - The Future of Middle Eastern Conflicts
01:43:35 - The Internal Muslim War
01:45:10 - Understanding Islamic Political Ideology
01:47:21 - Differences in Sunni and Shia Islam
01:49:10 - The Islamic Movement in Israel
01:52:39 - Sharia Law and Its Implications
01:58:30 - Hope for Gaza's Future


UKLFI: Trevor Asserson discusses the Asserson Report on the BBC's coverage of the Israel/Hamas War
In this webinar, held on 9 October 2024, Trevor Asserson discusses the Asserson Report on the BBC's coverage of the Israel/Hamas War with Natasha Hausdorff, UKLFI Charitable Trust Legal Director, and answers questions from the audience.

Using both human analysis and artificial intelligence, the Report examined a wide range of BBC broadcast programmes and all relevant website articles in English and Arabic over the 4-month period from 7 October 2023 to 7 February 2024, comprising some 9 million words. It found extensive evidence of non-compliance with the BBC's obligations of accuracy and impartiality. However, veteran BBC Editor, Jeremy Bowen, was quick to dismiss it, describing it on 13 September 2024 as a “deeply flawed document”.




Honestly with Bari Weiss: “There Is No Peace Here”: Reporting on War with Trey Yingst
We’ve released a few episodes on Honestly for the anniversary of October 7. Today, we’re bringing you one more conversation with someone who has been breaking news on the ground every single day of this war: journalist Trey Yingst.

On the morning of October 7, Trey was in Israel’s south, reporting on the massacre as it unfolded. He saw bodies dragged into vehicles, mothers trying to save their children, and the bloodshed—unlike anything he had ever seen—in the communities and kibbutzim. He reported these stories live on Fox—in many instances while rockets rained down on him and his crew, who often didn’t have time to take shelter. He remembers those early hours and days as “a true horror movie.”

That was just the beginning of his reporting on the unfolding war, which has taken him into Gaza and more recently on an embed with Israeli troops into southern Lebanon. He tells these stories in his new book Black Saturday, which chronicles his reporting over the last year and the very real human stories of this war, both from the perspective of Israelis and Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Trey is the chief foreign correspondent for Fox News. He has reported from the front lines in Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and since 2018, he’s been based in Israel. He says he tries to talk to everyone involved in the conflict, and he’s gone a long way toward doing so. He’s interviewed the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and he’s sat down on the Israeli side with everyone from Benjamin Netanyahu to Yoav Gallant.

If you’re someone listening who holds stereotypes about what a Fox correspondent might sound like, Trey will surprise you. Trey has unconventional and strongly held views about the future of the region, about whether Hamas can ever be defeated, and about what should happen next in the war. Most of all, he has an unwavering commitment to a kind of old-school journalism that tells stories of human beings in times of war, whatever side of the border they fall on.




Senator Fatima Payman struggles to answer question about October 7 attack on Israel on ABC
Senator Fatima Payman was left stumped when asked directly if she thought the October 7 attack on Israel was an act of 'terrorism or resistance'.

Ms Payman, 29, appeared on the ABC's 7.30 program on Wednesday night, hours after announcing her new political party - 'Australia's Voice'.

The senator, who represents Western Australia, resigned from Labor and joined the crossbench in July due to irreconcilable differences with the party over the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

She was asked by 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson how she'd describe the actions of Hamas on October 7 last year, following the first anniversary of the attack.

'In your view, were the actions of Hamas on that day an act of terrorism or an act of resistance?' Ferguson asked.

After initially pausing, Ms Payman claimed that the question 'reduces the Palestinian plight'.

'What happened on the 7th of October, I've condemned and the atrocities… the loss of any human life is to be condemned,' Ms Payman said.

'Any form of violence against civilians must be condemned, and we need to acknowledge that Palestinians and now the Lebanese community are hurting, but so are the Israeli communities.

'And this is about how do we make sure that we are raising awareness, but at the same time not isolating one group and pitting one group against another.'

Ferguson asked if Israel had a 'right to self-defense' following the October 7 attack by Hamas.

'We've heard from the ICJ [International Court of Justice] and the ICC [International Criminal Court] that as an occupying power, occupying a people, Israel does not have the right to claim self-defense,' Ms Payman responded.

'Again, I'm not a humanitarian lawyer or expert, but from what I have seen and understood Israel's atrocities and the genocide it continues to impose on the people of Palestine and now crossing the borders needs to be called out and Australia, as a friend of Israel, should play a stronger and bolder role.'




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